Rishton's last remaining bank has now closed its doors for the last time in a move which has been slammed by the town’s residents.

Earlier this month, it was revealed the branch of HSBC, on High Street, would close on Friday, February 12 leaving the town with no bank.

And now, despite the efforts of residents to keep it open, it has closed, leaving local account holders furious at the decision.

Campaigner Susan Stace, 53, of High Street, Rishton, started up her own petition in which she collected 450 signatures to keep it open.

She said: "It has gone now and it just looks derelict. They didn’t wait more than two minutes before they were emptying it out.

"I remember when I was doing the petition, some people signed it but said they didn’t feel it would help keep it open."

Keith Byron, of Choose ‘n’ Use DIY store on High Street, Rishton, said: "I am very concerned about the demise of the town of Rishton. Around 10 years ago we had four banks in this town but now we have none.

"They say you can go to Blackburn or Accrington, but you can’t just do that if you want to go and get some change as you are running out during the day. It is a joke."

Another Rishton resident said: "I am upset it has gone as it was really handy for everyone, including my family.

"It just seems really stupid having to go to other towns when we had a bank here we could use. And it is a lot worse for old people."

In a statement, HSBC bosses said the decision to close the branch was partly due to the fact that last year the branch opened ‘no new accounts’ while the average use was ‘just nine personal customers per hour’.

A spokesman said: "Before the decision to close a branch is taken, we look at all possibilities and options to maintain a service.

"In Rishton’s case, the steady decline in customer usage of the branch left us with no other choice but to close."